30/08/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | AUG 30, 2025

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Chin earns first call-up

Tan eyes SEA Games gold medal FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Lucas Tan Yin Yao has done Malaysia proud by winning gold at the Asian Karate Youth Championships held from Aug 12-16 in Hangzhou, China. In the true spirit of Merdeka, the relatively unknown Form Two student of SMK Taman Connaught, Cheras, has dedicated his medal to the people of Malaysia celebrating Merdeka this week. Fresh from his victory in China, the rather shy and quiet Tan now harbours ambitions to be a national champion by winning gold medals for Malaysia at the SEA games as well as future Olympic games. Tan said he remains determined and disciplined to pursue his dream of representing Malaysia. “One day, I hope to make Malaysia proud again on a bigger stage,”Tan, who was born and raised in KL, told Bernama in a recent interview. However, Tan who has a black belt in karate, is keenly aware that achieving these goals won’t be easy as it would take a huge amount of discipline and sacrifice to achieve what are surely lofty ambitions. “It would require me to balance my schoolwork and four hours of martial arts training daily which is not easy. “I would have to watch what I eat on a daily basis so as not to put on weight especially before tournaments as being above a certain weight category can rule me out from fighting in the competition,” he said. Organised by the Asian Karate Federation and Chinese Karate Association, the championship and training camp was participated by hundreds of young athletes from 12 Asian and Oceania countries. While there, young athletes also receive training from prominent karate champions such as China’s Li Gong, Al Jafari and Japan’s Ayumi Uekusa. – Bernama Only the top two teams from each group will qualify for the “Super 4” competition and the top two teams from the stage will compete for the championship in the final on Sept 7. – Bernama Speedy Tigers maul Bangladesh in India THE national men’s hockey squad started the 2025 Asia Cup Group B campaign in style when they came from behind yesterday to beat Bangladesh 4-1 in Bihar, India. In the action held at the Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium, the Speedy Tigers were first surprised by a goal from Ashraful Islam, who converted a penalty corner in the 16th minute. Stunned by the goal, Malaysia tried to improve their game and managed to equalise with a field goal by Mohamad Ashran Hamsani in the 25th minute. Sarjit Singh’s squad then took the lead with a field goal from Mohamad Akhimullah Anuar Esook in the 36th minute followed by another field goal, this time by Muhajir Abdu Rauf in the 48th minute. Speedy Tigers continued to add to Bangladesh’s suffering, completing the victory with a goal from a penalty corner by Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan six minutes before the end of the match. Malaysia will face South Korea today and close the group stage against Taiwan on Monday.

S COTTISH club Raith Rovers FC full-back Richard Chin will earn his first Harimau Malaya call-up for the upcoming central ised training camp starting next Monday (Sept 1). Harimau Malaya head coach Peter Cklamovski said the 22-year-old player is among the four new faces to join the centralised training camp ahead of two Tier 1 international friendlies against Singapore (Sept 4) and Palestine (Sept 8).

Cklamovski explains absence of Machuca, Mendez

Puteri are key preparation moves before the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers against Laos next month, where the target is to collect six points. Malaysia, currently ranked 125th in the world, will face Laos on Oct 9 and 14, followed by Nepal on Nov 18, before concluding Group F action against Vietnam on March 31 next year. The national team currently leads the group with six points, followed by Vietnam and Laos with three points each, while Nepal (ranked 176th) are at the bottom without a point. Meanwhile, Cklamovski said the decision to play in two different venues in friendlies next month is also a strategic simulation for October’s schedule against Laos, when Malaysia will have to travel for an away match before returning home. He said the September friendlies are designed to mirror those conditions, with the squad travelling mid-camp to a different location to prepare both physically and mentally for similar challenges next month. – Bernama

of play. “He looks like he’s got good mobility, good technique with the ball and might bring a speed of play which will help us,” he said during yesterday’s press conference, here. Cklamovski also addressed the absence of two heritage players Imanol Machuca, who plied his trade for Argentina’s club Velez Sarsfield, and Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) midfielder Nacho Mendez.

Three other new players that will be part of a total of 29 players that were called up for the next training camp are Sergio Aguero who currently plays in Thailand for Kanchanaburi Power as well as two Terengganu FC players, Mohd Suhaimi Husin and Muhammad Azam Azmi Murad. Cklamovski said he was impressed by Chin’s mentality, versatility and ability to suit Malaysia’s style

He said Machuca could not join the upcoming training camp due to club commitment as he will be involved in the Argentine Supercopa final against Central Cordoba on Sept 6 while Mendez has been ruled out due to physical concerns.

In the meantime, the Australian coach said that the matches against Singapore in the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil and Palestine in Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar

Aaron-Wooi Yik storm into World C’ship quarters

Malaysia’s Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun (front) in action. – AFPPIC

FORMER world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik proved why they are Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair, after seeing off a stiff challenge from compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King to march into the last eight of the 2025 World Championships yesterday in Paris. Competing in the third round at the Adidas Arena, Aaron-Wooi Yik were slow off the mark, dropping the opening set 18-21. However, the second-seeded duo bounced back to force the game into a decider with 21-18 in the second set. The rubber set saw both pairs locked in a tense battle, staying neck-and-neck at 24-24 before Aaron-Wooi Yik held their nerve to wrap up the set 26-24, capping an intense hour-long battle. The winners of the 2022 edition are set to face ninth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty from India in today’s quarterfinals. Professional men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, saw their campaign at the World Championships 2025 in Paris came to a disappointing end after suffering a shock third-round

defeat yesterday. The third-seeded duo were pushed to a rubber game before falling 20-22, 21-15, 21-23 to Taiwan’s 16th seeds Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in a tightly contested 50-minute match. Another Malaysian pair and seventh seeds Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun lived up to expectations as they stormed to the quarterfinals, courtesy of their 21 18, 21-18 win over English duo Ben Lane-Sean Vendy. A massive clash with the tournament’s top dogs and world No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae awaits Wei Chong-Kai Wun next. Meanwhile, national No. 1 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan M. Thinaah had no trouble getting into the next round with a 21-12, 21-11 win over Indonesia’s Lanny Tria Mayangsari-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, in just 29 minutes. Pearly-Thinaah will next meet the Stoeva sisters – Gabriela and Stefani – from Bulgaria, to determine a place in the semifinals. Also in the quarterfinals are two national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin. – Bernama

Mohd Joehari resigns over personal reason: FAM DATUK Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub’s resignation as Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president recently was merely a personal decision. confirmed that Mohd Joehari had expressed his intention to step down as president through a resignation letter sent recently.

the first individual from Sabah to lead the body as the national football chief, replacing Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin. Mohd Joehari was appointed to replace Hamidin after winning unopposed at the FAM Electoral Congress for the 2025–2029 term, in February. Asked about the possibility of former national football player Safee Sali or former Youth and Sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin becoming the next FAM president as previously reported by the media, Mohd Yusoff said the assumption was merely speculation played by outside parties. “There are more names coming out, especially in the run-up to the congress. So I consider all of that to be speculation and ultimately the decision is still in the hands of the affiliates,” he said. – Bernama

Therefore, the FAM executive committee was called for a second special meeting for 2025 2029 term at Wisma FAM Kelana Jaya, chaired by Mohd Yusoff as deputy president to discuss the matter. FAM also said the executive committee had agreed to name Mohd Yusoff as acting president of FAM with immediate effect, in line with the provisions of the FAM Statute. According to Article 42 Paragraph 7 in the FAM Statute, if the position of president is vacant, the longest serving deputy president will replace him until the next congress, which is next year. Earlier, Mohd Joehari held the position of vice president and was the eighth FAM president and

Acting FAM president Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mahadi said that there was no “unknown hand” behind Mohd Joehari’s decision to relinquish the number one position of the governing body that oversees national football. “I don’t know. This is his (Mohd Joehari’s) personal decision … Why and how, I can’t answer what it is. “What is important is that we, the exco (executive committee), follow our constitution. We will bring it to the meeting, everyone agrees and respects his decision,” he said at a press conference yesterday. On Wednesday, FAM in a statement